The Corps

Read The Corps Network "Corps Profile."

Launched in California in 1976, Corps are state and local programs that engage primarily youth and young adults (ages 16-25) in full-time community service, training and educational activities. Corps are heirs to the tremendous legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a Depression-era program that engaged six million young men in conservation work. From 1933-42, President Roosevelt's "CCC boys" dramatically improved the nation's public lands, while also receiving food, shelter, education and a precious $30-a-month stipend that literally saved many of their families from hunger in tough times. Like the legendary CCC of the '30s, today's Corps are a proven strategy for giving young men and women the chance to change their communities, their own lives and those of their families through service.

Today, the nation's 143 Corps operate in multiple communities across 45 states and the District of Columbia. Corps annually enroll more than 30,000 young people who provided their communities with nearly 21.3 million hours of service in year-round and summer programs. These Corps mobilized 226,000 community volunteers.

The majority of Corpsmembers come to the Corps looking for a second chance to succeed in life. Guided by adult leaders, who serve as mentors and role models as well as technical trainers and supervisors, crews of 8-12 Corpsmembers carry out a wide range of conservation, urban infrastructure improvement and human service projects. In return for their efforts to restore and strengthen their communities, Corpsmembers receive: 1) a living allowance; 2) classroom training to improve basic competencies and, if necessary, to secure a GED or high school diploma; 3) experiential and environmental service-learning based education; 4) generic and technical skills training; 5) a wide range of supportive services; and 6) in many cases, an AmeriCorps post-service educational award.

In short, Corps are amazingly versatile, cost-effective programs that allow young people to accomplish important conservation, community restoration and human service projects, while also developing employment and citizenship skills. Indeed, a rigorous multi-site control group evaluation, conducted by Abt Associates/Brandeis University and funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, underscored the value of Corps for communities and participants. The report, "YOUTH CORPS: Promising Strategies for Young People and Their Communities," is available on this website.

Unlike the original CCC, Corps are state and local programs that have matured without a dedicated source of Federal funds. As a result, Corps became entrepreneurial organizations, skilled at accessing resources. In 2008, Corps budgets totaled $407 million nationwide; 27% derived from "sponsored projects" or fee-for-service revenue with the balance from variety of Federal sources, state, county and municipal appropriations, and foundation and corporate grants.